Q: I have been getting my husband to lose weight, exercise and quit smoking but nothing seems to sink into his brain. A friend told me that an unhealthy lifestyle can affect his sexual performance. Is that true?

A: Your friend is absolutely correct that a healthy lifestyle now will likely translate into better erections later. Men who take good care of their bodies when they are young are more likely to experience greater sex lives as they enter their middle years. It may be difficult to coerce men to lose a few pounds or exercise to lower their cholesterol several points. But once they learn that their sex lives are at stake, they suddenly are all ears and willing to learn their lesson.

Medical studies indicate that 40 percent of diabetics have erection problems. Sexual abilities are significantly impaired in 31 percent of men with heart problems and 25 percent of those have high cholesterol. Depression and anxiety can contribute to erections problems as nearly 28 percent of those affected. Smoking can increase a man’s chance of losing satisfactory erection by nearly fourfold. A staggering 30 million men in the United States have erectile dysfunction and the numbers seem to be increasing. Nearly 50 percent of men age 50 begin to experience mild to moderate changes in their sexual capability.

Helping to prevent sexual demise is simple. An erection, just like our heart, requires good blood flow. Eating well exercising and not smoking are just some of the ways we can change our lifestyle when we are young, in order to preserve our sexual health when we are older.